Early Reactions to the Launch of AppPresser

Published

January 10, 2014

2 Comments

On Tuesday, AppPresser shook things up by making mobile app development accessible to everyone by launching the first mobile app development framework for WordPress.

Their theme and extensions allow developers to create app-like features for sites and utilize device hardware like the camera, geolocation, push notifications, and contacts. There is also an extension that supports all WooCommerce features for an app.

Early reactions on Twitter have been very positive.

The more I look at @apppresser, wow, the more I am totally impressed. #WordPress http://t.co/5hxfwbzrsM

— BobWP (@bobWP) January 7, 2014

As I work with @phonegap and @WordPress on a regular basis, I’m highly interested in the look of @apppresser http://t.co/IyrVMwFrnG

— Christian Cook (@Cookie_Cookson) January 9, 2014

The pricing model is not one-size fits all. The theme costs $99. Extensions are available a la cart on a three-tiered system: single app license, up to 5 licenses, or up to 25 licenses. There are also two bundle options. The eCommerce Bundle includes the AppTheme and three extensions and is also available using the three-tiered system, starting at $249 for a single license. The Agency Bundle provides unlimited access to all themes and extensions for one year and costs $499. AppPresser has mentioned on Twitter that they are sending out discount codes to their email list.

I just bought unlimited mobile apps from @apppresser before they realized that their price is too cheap! Go now! Or you can’t blame me later.

— Chris Lema (@chrislema) January 8, 2014

AppPresser also provides a service where they will package and submit apps to iTunes and GooglePlay. For $299 they’ll generate the certificates, build the app files using Phonegap, and submit. Of course they don’t guarantee that apps will be approved.

Will you be using AppPresser to build a mobile app?

Suzy Brannon started her career writing for TechTV and
CNET. She has worked as a product manager for numerous sites, and is an avid baker.

There are 2 comments

January 10, 2014 #

Peter Knight

I think the reactions that will be more important are how users feel about the actual apps that are built with AppPresser. AppPresser provides an easier window into developing apps with WordPress, but building great apps is not easy, even with powerful tools.

In that light, I’m a bit reserved about the launch strategy AppPresser has taken. It seems like they set out to start selling components on a predetermined schedule rather than look at the maturity of the code, the community that is learning the tools, the developers that are now for the first time perhaps learning about how to create great apps and the quality of the apps that are coming out of the tools. Why should that matter?

AppPresser could and probably will be a pivotal tool taking WordPress to new heights. To support that revolution you want to cultivate a strong foundation. Just imagine if all WordPress shops and devs are using AppPresser? For years to come?

In their own messaging, they’ve emphasized that this isn’t meant as a click and build kind of ‘turn your website in an app tool’. They want developers to put real thought in creating a ‘real’ app. At the same time they encourage the idea that you can have a turnkey mobile app for your woocommerce store.

The message is confusing. They don’t want enable really shitty apps (an app experience that is little more than a website in an app container), but they are fine selling the idea that all it’s going to take to create a cool app for your ecommerce site is using AppPresser, a theme and an extension or two. The fact is that It’s going to be incredibly easy to create bad mobile apps using AppPresser right now. Apps that load slowly, are not optimized for the various platforms, apps that only work while having a connection or apps that are lousy/unoptimized when on a less than desirable connection.

That isn’t necessarily a knock on the tool, I mean, this happens with others apps built with PhoneGap too, that doesn’t make PhoneGap bad either. What I’m concerned about is that if you want really great apps to surface, the actual code is just a small part of it. There needs to be a lot of education and a strong community.

I hope to see a community that shares how they are creating wonderfully fast apps using AppPresser. That would be so awesome and that’s exactly what we already have in our WP ecosystem developing traditional sites. My concern is that by having the growth of the tool be dictated by a commercial roll-out will not encourage the development of such a community and knowledge base.

I found the rushed release concerning, consider this:
– The beta period was very short. And during December. You know, when lots of developers have tons of time to really get to know a tool. I don’t know about fellow developers, I’m excited as hell about developing about mobile apps, but I can’t drop everything just like that. I have to wait patiently until I can create time from already running projects.
– There is no real lively open community/forum yet discussing app development. (Unless I’ve missed it?)
– There are not a ton of in-depth resources that focus purely on creating high performing mobile apps using AppPresser
– Where’s a list of great apps that use AppPresser that I can install on Android? It doesn’t have to be a long list…Right now I know a single one that I can get from the store (please reply if you know more!).
– How do you create an app that works offline too? I’m not expecting AppPresser to do all the work, but many devs are going to have to figure this one out.

I don’t think this a promising way to release a tool that could be a game changer. I don’t see a foundation yet to build really high quality apps, I think that takes time to grow. Wouldn’t that foundation be more stimulated if the barrier to entry was kept low via a much longer beta period or a different approach to monetization early on? I think it’s much harder to build that foundation if right from the start early sales are prioritized over long term growth.

This concludes my rant.

* disclaimer *
– I’m not making a case that the tools aren’t *worth* the $. I mean, Lema is not wrong, there will always be a group of people that are paying very little for a tool that is worth much more and the current pricing is not greedy in any shape or form.
– I think the people behind AppPresser are stellar, I just get the feeling that the roll-out strategy is rushed and potentially might undermine the community and knowledgebase that needs to grow for the average AppPresser app to be great.
February 27, 2015 #

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